Grass-carrier for lawn-mowers.



No. 657,289. Patented Sept. 4, I900. B. F. KRAUSE.

GRASS CARRIER-FUR LAWN MOWERS.

(Application filed Nov. 27, 1899.

(No Model.)

Nr'rnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROSVELL F. KRAUSE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE KRAUSEMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

GRASS-CARRIER FOR LAWN-MOWERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,289, datedSeptember 4, 1900.

Application filed llovemiber 27, 1899. Serial No. 738,334- (No model.)

To all whont it nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, RoswELL F. KRAUSE, a resident of Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Grass-Carriers for Lawn-M0wers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention pertains to grass-carriers for lawn-mowers; and itsparticular object is to provide a novel, simple, and efficientconstruction of carrier whose bottom and sides are formed of canvas orsimilarsuitable material and which shall be capable of adjustment andattachment on mowers of different widths of out.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation. of a mower with mycarrier attachedr Fig. 2, an enlarged sectional elevation on line 2 2 ofFig. 3; Fig. 3, a plan of my carrier and mower-handle; Fig. 4, asectional elevation on line 4 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a section on line 5 5of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

The carrier is preferably composed of a single piece of canvas formingthe bottom 1, the two sides 2, and the end 3. The upper frame consistsof a continuous wire having the end portion 4 and two side portions 5,which have downward and preferably inward extensions 6, each provided atits extreme end with an eye or hook 7. The lower frame consists of acontinuous wire 8, having an end portion and the two side portionssimilar to the other frame so far as the two sides and the end areconcerned. These two wire frames are secured to the canvas, preferablyby sewing the wire in loops in the canvas, the upper frame being securedat the upper edge of the canvas and the lower frame at the juncture ofthe sides and ends with the bot tom. A rigid strip 9, preferably ofsheet metal, is arranged along the front edge of the bottom. 7 The frontedge 10 of this strip may be upturned, as shown, and its rear edge 11may be folded over upon the bottom canvas itself, thereby to clamp andhold it. On the upper side of the strip, near each end, is a loop 12,which may be cheaply and advantageously made of a single piece of wirepassing through vertical holes 13 and with its ends secured together.Obviously any other suitable mechanical construction whereby anelongated loop maybe provided may be adopted. The eyes '7 on the wire orrod portions 6, which form the frame for the front edges of the sidecanvas, engage in the loops, respectively, and are capable of movementtherein, so that the sides of the carrier may be drawn inward toaccommodate a shorter width or cut of mower or may be forced to itsextreme outward position to accommodate a wider width or cut of mower.

Any suitable clamp for readily securing the free front corners of thesides of the carrier to the usual bifurcated handle let may be used. Asshown, the clamp adopted consists of two similar plates 15, each havingtwo longitudinal slots 16 and 17, through which pairs of slots passclamping-bolts 18 and 19, respectively. The lower bolt 19 through theslots 17 also passes through the-canvas of the side portions below thewire or rod, which is thereby clamped, as shown in Fig. 5. Thehandlcbifurcations are clamped between the plates. By means of the slotsin these plates 1 secure a ready adjustment both for the width of thehandle and for the height of the front end of the carrier. The usualcord or small chain 20 may be used to support the rear end of thecarrier to the handle.

The ad vantages of my attachment are quite apparent.

The mower illustrated has a wide out and requires the eyes to be at theouter ends of the loops 12; but when the carrier is to be at tached to asmaller mower with a narrower cut the carrier is first detached byremoving the upper bolts 18 of the clamp, permitting the carrier to beremoved from the handle. To accommodate the smaller mower, the sideportions of the carrier are drawn inward to an amount depending on thewidth of the mower, and the clamp is then applied. In this manner allstandard sizes of mowers may be provided for and the front adjustmentmade without affecting the front strip on the bottom, which alwaysremains its full length, not only protecting the front of the carrierfrom wear, but preventing the flexible bottom from bagging andeventually becoming worn out. By the use of this strip I am thus enabledto provide for the proper adjustments and also to make thecarrier-bottom of material, such as canvas, which is kept distended bythe front strip. Moreover, the carrier or receptacle is collapsible.

Although I have described more or less precise forms and details ofconstruction, I do not intend to be understood as limiting myselfthereto, as I contemplate changes in form, the proportion of parts, andthe substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or renderexpedient and without departing from the spirit of my invention.

It will be understood that so far as the feature of the adjustment ofthe sides is concerned the bottom of the carrier is not necessarilyflexible and provided with a rigid front strip, as any means other thanthis strip for supporting or mounting the loops or equivalent devicesperforming the same functions may be employed.

I claim- 1. A grass-carrier for lawn-mowers comprising a frame having abottom of flexible material, a rigid strip secured to the open side ofsuch bottom, the length of the strip being equal to the width of thebottom, and a connection between the side portions and the strippermitting such side portions to slide longitudinally of such strip.

2. A grass-carrier for lawn-mowers having an end, sides and a bottom offlexible material, a rigid strip on the open edge of such bottom, andloops on such strip, said sides engaging in and adjustable on suchloops.

3. A grass-carrier for lawn-mowers comprising two sides,an end and abottom of flexible material, a wire frame supporting the top edges ofsuch sides, end and bottom and also -the forward edges of the sides,such frame having eyes on its free ends, a strip on the front side ofthe bottom, loops on such strip engaged by. such eyes, and means forsecuring the carrier to the mower.

at. A grass-carrier for lawn-mowers having two sides, an end, and abottom of flexible material, a rigid supporting and protecting strip ofseparate material from the bottom but secured thereto, such stripextending from side to side on the front edge of such bottom and ofpermanent length, and a connection between the side portions and thestrip per mitting such side portions to slide longitudi-' nally of suchstrip whereby such side portions may be adjusted to vary the width ofthe carrier to the cut of the mower. I

5. A grass-carrier for lawn-mowers comprising a receptacle with sides,and with a bottom of flexible material, -a rigid strip secured at itsrear side to the bottom and formprising a receptacle having an end, twosides and a bottom, loops in the front edge of the bottom, and on theupper side.thereof, the lower inner corners of the sides terminating ineyes encircling, and adjustable in, the said loops, and means forattaching the carrier to the mower.

7. A grass-carrier comprising a bottom 1, sides 2, end 3, an upper frameconsisting of a wire or rod with end portion 4, side portions 5 anddownwardly-extending portions 6 with eyes 7 on their extreme ends, alower wire frame consisting of an end and two side portions, a strip 9on the front edge of the bottom 1, elongated loops 12 on the stripengaged by said eyes 7 and means for clamping the carrier to amower-handle.

8. A grass-carrier, comprising a receptacle having sides, and a flexiblebottom, a sheetmetal strip 9 whose front edge 10 is upwardly turned andwhose rear edge 11 is folded over upon the edge of the flexible bottom,loops near either end of such strip and in which the sides are freelyadjustable, and means for attaching the carrier to a mower.

9. A grass-carrier comprising a bottom 1, sides 2, end 3 of flexiblematerial, an upper wire frame secured to the upperedges of the carrierand having downwardly-extending portions 6 secured to the front edges ofthe sides 2 and provided at their ends with eyes or hooks 7, a lowerwire frame with an end portion'and two parallel side portions secured atthe juncture of the end and sides with the bottom; a rigid strip 9secured to the front edge of the bottom and having at each end anelongated loop 12 engaged by such eyes 7 and movable therein and meansfor attaching the carrier to a mower.

10. A grass-carrier for lawn-mowers comprising a receptacle havingsides, and a bottom of flexible material, and means for adjusting thedistance between the sides adjacent to the mower without changing thewidth of the bottom, said means comprising loops arranged on the frontedge of the bottom, in which loops the said sides engage and slide.

' ROSWELL F. KRAUSE.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL E. HIBBEN, LOUISE E. SERAGE.

